Why do we sing at church?

The significance of singing
Our communal singing¹ has great effect. Much of our time in church is spent singing, with the memorable melody and its words left circulating in our minds as we leave. It inspires, engages and changes us.  There are many places in the Bible we can go and see this community sung ‘worship’. Israel’s collection of songs in Psalms; individual, spontaneous singing in, for example, Luke 1-2; collective gatherings of God’s people singing in Ezra, Nehemiah and Acts; and the celestial worshippers in Revelation 4&5.

 

 

Miriam & Moses
Moses and Miriam’s song of praise in response to God’s mighty act of rescue from slavery in Egypt across the miraculously parted Red Sea reflects the three biblical focal points to why we sing together (Exodus 15).

 

1. Singing to display God's greatness

Psalm 19 tells us all creation exists to display the greatness of God, and so it should not surprise us that this is the first focal point of our communal singing – to display God as he truly is, both great and good.

“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously...In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries...Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:1,6-7,11)

 

2. Singing to strengthen faith in us and other Christians

The second purpose is to sing the great truths of God to stir up deeper, richer and fuller faith in both ourselves and others.

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God and I will exalt him..." (Exodus 15:2,13)

 

Many, though not all of us, will have know a particular intimacy with God, a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit, or a releasing of his gifts, through sung worship.  But a priority in singing is to encourage ourselves and others.

"...be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart..." (Ephesians 5:18-19)

 

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." (Colossians 3:16)

 

And let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another... (Hebrews 10:24-25. Presumably this meeting together includes singing)

 

Whereas the first focal point is on who God is, the second is on what God has done. We sing to each other to strengthen our knowledge and love for God.

 

3. Singing to persuade non-believers to faith

The third focal point is on the evitable non-Christian people who are among us.

We sing to them, proclaiming the truth of God in the hope that they may see that God is truly among us (1Corinthians 14:24-25).

 

"The peoples have heard: they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia...Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as stone..." (Exodus 15:14,16)

 

Miriam and Moses are singing to God’s enemies, warning them of the fury of God and the need to fear him. Elsewhere we see singing proclaiming the kindness of God and calling people to its embrace. The point, in either case, is singing that declares to non-believers the truth of God.

 

True biblical sung worship has three focal points: displaying God’s glory, encouraging Christians in faith, and evangelising non-Christians. Nowhere in the Bible is there a self-focus in worship. Worship is never about us. Obviously we can benefit when we worship, but we do not worship so to get the benefit. Our worship, whether as leader or congregation member, is an act of service to God and others.

 

 

Four caricatures to avoid

Emotional Emma - The aim of singing is not to cultivate a sentimental, inwardly focussed feeling that is about me.

 

Professional Pete - Though our professionalism should aid us, the aim of singing is not technical excellence, making us an audience and performers.

 

Intellectual Ian - The aim of singing is not doctrinal purity, theological accuracy and cerebral clarity but we seek songs of clear, deep biblical truth as a means, not the end of declaring God.

 

Get-on-with-it Owen Singing is not an interruption in our ability to serve God practically but a privilege of displaying God, encouraging others and reaching unbelievers.

 

 

Some practical applications

• Choose songs that primarily are about God. God always acts first. He created the world; revealed himself through his Word; sent his Son to die for us; and gave his Spirit to turn our hearts to him. The initiative is always God’s, and this should be reflected in our song choices.
• Choose songs based on both biblical content and appealing melody.
• Choose songs that use ordinary language comprehensible by all.
• Choose a variety of genres and styles to awaken different types of personality to God.
• Worry more about your heart than your voice by cultivating desires that long to declare God’s greatness for other’s benefit.
• Practically arrange the room that we make much of God and little of ourselves including the musicians, who facilitate but are not the focus of our worship, being positioned on the peripheral not centre stage.

 

 

Summary

Worship is first about God (declaring his greatness), then about people (encouraging and awakening faith and experiences of God). It should not though be focused on ourselves, however subtly or subconsciously. Our sung worship therefore is a reflection of our life of worship – everything offered to God to declare his greatness, to strengthen faith, and to reach the world with God’s marvellous news of Jesus.

 

1] The Greek word translated worship is most often used in the New Testament not to refer to our singing but to the entirety of our lives, for example Romans 12:1-2. Tradition and common usage in the church has narrowedmean singing in church. This is not inappropriate as long as we do not fail to comprehend our whole lives are to be lived in worship of God.